Brief-case



F. M ASHEK.

BRIEF CASE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23, I920.

Patented July 26, 1921.

Wt/zed-sew I Z m 7 a a m FRANK MASHEK, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIEF-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26, 1921.

Application filed August 23, 1920. Serial No. 405,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MASHEK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Briefcases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brief cases and has for its primary object the manufacture of a brief case of such construction as to enable the user to carry heavy bulky books and papers in the case without the usual inconvenience of having the handle offset to one side when the top is bulged out of proportion by the contents of said case.

(Ether objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by.

reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of the case showing the locking means thereon,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the self ad justing handle on the case,

Fig. 3 is a view on the underside of the flap showing the bar and cooperating elements to which the handle is attached, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of construction of my invention comprises the usual telescopic brief case 1 having partitions therein and having carrying straps 2 and 3 thereon, said carrying straps being adjustably locked by means of buckles 4 and 5. The usual overlapping flap 6 is provided. Said flap, however, is provided with a locking device 7 of unusual construction, said locking device consisting of alined oblong metallic plates on each side of the flap, said metalllc plates having alined slots 8 cut or stamped therein, said slots being adapted to cooperate with perforations in the flap as to permit the insertion of a rotatable lock 9 which is seated in the side of the brief case opposite the slots 8, said lock being adapted to be turned as to permit its narrow edge to be inserted into one of the slots 8; the lock is then turned and is held in position by friction. A hole is drilled or stamped in the large head of the lock 9, thus providing means whereby the brief case may be substantially locked by means of a padlock 10. As may be clearly seen from the drawings the multiplicity of slots is provided for different sizes of papers, books, etc, that is to say, if the object to be placed in the brief case is of a width greater than the width of the brief case when the lock is in the top slot, by merely placing the lock in alower slot the width of the brief case is increased to accommodate the width of the object. In the hinged edge of the flap and positioned directly under the ex tremities of the handle 11 are slots 12 and 13 and covering said slots and under the carrying straps are wear pads 14 and 15. Attached to said wear pads and a sliding bar 16, situated on the underside of the flap, is the handle 11. Said handle 11 is attached to the pads 14 and 15 and sliding bar 16 by means of rivets 17 and 18, said rivets extending through the slots 12 and 13 to the bar 16. The portions of the handle between the rivets are raised as at 19 to provide openings through which the carrying straps 5 and 6 are slipped.

The operation of the device is as follows: Should a bulky extra-wide book be inserted in the brief case the flap will be brought down over said book and locked by inserting the lock 9 in one of the lower slots 8. Ordinarily the handle 11 is fixedly attached to the flap 6, thus the insertion of an extrawide object in the brief case necessitates the widening of the brief case bymeans of an adjustable look. This causes the fixedly positioned handle to be positioned at an angle from the sides of the brief case, thus causing the brief case, when carried, to bump against the knees of the carrier. However, when a bulky oversize object is placed in the brief case described herein and the width of the brief case is increased by means of the adjustable lock, the handle, through the medium of the slots 12 and 13 and the bar 16, is permitted to adjust itself to a position as to equally distribute the weight of the contents of said brief case on each side of said handle. Inasmuch as the bar 16 is covered with leather, it will slide on the underside of the flap and thus adjust the handle without any manual aid on the part of the carrier; in other words, the handle automatically adjusts itself to the widest or narrowest limits of the adjustable flap.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An article of. the class described com prising a carrying member; a flexible adjustable flap inclosing said carrying member; a handlemounted on said flap; means Wherebysaid flap may be adjusted to enlarge the carrying capacity of said carrying member; and means, including connected membersmovable onboth sides of said flap, whereby'said handle automatically adjusts itself to carrying position-upon a change of size-of said case, substantially as described.

2. Anarticle of the class described comprising a flexible telescopic carryingmember; -'a flexible hinged flap inclosing Said carrying member ahandle mounted, on said flap ymeanswhereby said flap may be adjusted to enlarge the carrying capacity of said carrying member; and cooperating means on the inner and outer side of said flap whereby said handle automatically adjusts itself to carrying position upon a change of depth of saidcase, substantially" as described.

. 3. An. article oftheclass described comprising atelescopicflexible carrying member; a flexible flap inclosing said carrying member; slots in the hinged portion of said flaps; a handle having rivets protruding through said. slots movably mounted on said flap; flexible Wear pads positioned between the handle 'andthe flap; a bar on the inner side of said flap and connected to the handle by means .of rivets whereby said handle antomatically adjusts itself to the depth ofthe carrying member; and means on said flap whereby the depth of the carrymg member may be increased or shortened as desired, substantially as described.

4. A flexible telescopic brief case provided with an overlapping fiap containing slots in its upper portion; a handle provided with rivets. extending through said slots; wear pads mounted on said handle to cover said slots; a bar on the inner side of said flap, said bar being connected to said handle and wear pads by means of said rivets; carrying straps slidably mounted between said handle and wear pads, said handle, pads and bar being automatically slidable along said flap and straps to adjust itself to the depth of the. case; and locking means on said flap and case permitting adjustability of said flap, substantially as described.

5. A telescopic brief case provided with an overlapping flap; slots in the hinged portion of said flap; a handle carrying rivets protruding through said slots movably mounted on saidslots; flexible wear pads positioned between the handle and the flap; carrying straps passing between said handle and wear pads; a bar on the inner side of said flap and connected to the handle by means ofrivets, whereby said handle automaticallyadjusts itself to the depth of the case; and a slotted member on the outer end of said flap to engage a cooperating locking member on the case, said carrying straps and locking members being adjustable whereby the depth of the case may be varied, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of a subscribing witness.

FRANK MASHEK.

Witness Ross K. Tam. 

